hd-3.

♪ the day after christmas is

among the busiest shopping days of the year. for bargain hunters, like we all are, today's trip to the big box store or online vender could be very worthwhile. >> i think i might be doing this after we're done this morning. today's deals may be better than what was offered on black friday. as abc's brad wheelis reports. >> reporter: big retailers are pushing out the post christmas merchandise, hoping to add to their bottom line. they're offering deep discounts. >> on key items, look for 75% to 80% off. >> reporter: this was the weakest holiday since 2008. figures show sales increased only 0.7%. hurricane sandy dampened the mood of shoppers in the northeast. and then there's the issue of the fiscal cliff and higher taxes. >> i think the worries of what

we're going to be dealing with at the end of the year has curbed our spending, for sure. >> reporter: retailers today are trying to outdo one another with deals, often better than what was offered the day after thanksgiving. amazon offering a 46-inch tv, marked down 44% for just $338. best buy is cutting the price of a nikon camera. and a cashmere sweater from bloomingdale's, just $89.99. last year shoppers spent more than $7 billion on the day after christmas. bargains have become a post holiday tradition. whether you're shopping in stores or surfing for discounts and free shipping from online venders, retailers are looking for you on what may be the fifth busiest shopping day of the year. brad wheelis, abc news, los angeles. >> i think you have the right idea.

we should go shopping when we're done. online venders still offering free shipping. just go online and find the coupons. it's that simple. >> yes. from shopping to the big games, coming up, we'll take a look at the nba games that were taking up much of christmas day. >> a full wrap on which teams scored and which teams didn't, coming up. you're watching "world news now." s now.

♪ welcome back. there was some great nba games played yesterday right here on abc. >> absolutely. you could call them some statement games. join us with all the action,

jason page. very good morning. let's talk with the celtics, off to a very rough start this season. some people saying they're not in the mix for the championship anymore. they did get some revenge today, though. >> they did. they got embarrassed about a month ago at home. brooklyn came in, pushed them around. doc rivers was so upset, he challenged his team, he said we're just not tough enough. today, they were tough enough. this is a prideful group of veterans. this is a veteran group, older players, guys that have pacing themselves as they go through the season. they want to be fresh for the playoffs. today, you could see this one coming. the nets aren't playing well. boston coming in, trying to get some revenge. they did. another interesting thing here is brooklyn. avery johnson was coach of the month in november as the nets got off to a great start, challenging the knicks. now there's talk, people i'm talking to are saying avery johnson could be on the hotseat.

the owner of the nets may make a move at the head coach spot if they continue to struggle. there's a couple good candidates out there that he could replace avery johnson with. >> i think phil jackson still looking for a job. >> i'm from los angeles. the lakers are having a really tough season, but they're getting healthier. they took on the knicks, a game a lot have been waiting to see. >> this meant a lot more to the lakers than to the knicks. lakers get their fifth win in the row. the clippers won their 14th in a row. lakers needed this one today. and how about kobe bryant? nine straight games over 30 points for kobe. he's been carrying this team offensively throughout their struggles right now. they get a huge dunk late from pau gasol. they needed this win in the worst way. big win for the lakers, and, again, kobe is the story tonight. kobe going over 30, nine straight games. i say right now he's in the second prime of his career.

he's already had one prime. he's changed his game and become a below the rim player and he has a second prime. the guy is amazing. >> there's been so much talk about how would steve nash fit under the offense there. the lakers were playing well before nash came back. today what we saw is nash can run that offense and control that team. >> yes. and now you're seeing a more cohesive unit. instead of five guys on the court trying to score, you're seeing one unit with steve nash out there. double digit assist for him today. vintage steve nash. they needed to get him back healthy and he is right now. >> i just got to say for the viewers, check out this haircut. from the 1980s. that made the broadcast for me. the next game, thunder and heat. arguably the two best players in the nba right now, lebron james, kevin durant. >> more of the same.

lebron is the most well rounded player in the game. you watch him and think of magic johnson. he doesn't need to score 30, 40 points a game for this team to win. he wants to be a facilitator. if asked to do the scoring, he can. for the heat, it's all about defense. when they defend, they look like they have six guys on the court instead of five. today, they played that way. they're still not even playing their best basketball yet and they still look really good. >> russell westbrook, kevin durant, they are both getting better. look at the score, they only lost by six points. a couple of years, that goes down to four points, two points and maybe they turn that corner. >> remember, lebron james is still only 28 years old. >> that's hard to believe, too. jason, thank you. some great games last night.

we'll be right back with a pretty interesting story. the guy who won the lottery by mistake. >> and who lost track of santa? that is coming up next in "the mix." that is coming up next in "the mix." [ roasting firewood ]

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and kills 99.9% of germs. new lysol power & free. powerful cleaning that's family friendly. another step forward in our mission for health. time now for "the mix." i know a lot of families out there were monitoring santa, checking out where he was throughout the day, delivering out the gifts. and you had two options this year, one from norad. apparently there was a problem, because google went on its own. norad ended up using microsoft and they had two competing santa trackers that were off. it depends which one you were following. norad had santa in rome and google had him in niger. >> you could have two different people following santa at different times.

>> the guy is magical and has a lot to get done, but you guys need to work together. maybe it was like that iphone when the maps were all messed up. maybe apple can get into the mix next time. >> i can get used to this mix. i've been trying to get this story on air at abc for the longest time. now that i'm in the chair, we are running this. ladies and gentlemen, i give you one pound fish man. ♪ >> so his name is mohammed. they're calling him the next gangnam style. he tried auditioning for "x factor." warner brothers signed him to a deal trying to get him to make the uk's number one christmas

single. his video has more than 7 million views in just two weeks. of course, there's some unwanted attention. turns out his visa had expired and british authorities have now said mr. mohammed, it's time to go home. so there is a price to pay. there's a guy who won $1 million in the megabucks lottery and it turns out, the clerk screwed up. he messed up. he played the wrong ticket, but the guy won. thanks to the clerk playing the wrong game, the man went into the circle k convenience store in new hampshire. turns out the clerk sold him the tristate game and he won. so go to the clerk, buy him something nice, okay? >> when your stars are aligned, they are aligned. hold on for this next one. should i be angry? >> yes, be angry. apparently being angry and showing your anger is healthy and could add two years to your life. here's a new study, assessing 6,000 patients.

they say hot heads live two years longer. >> i love it. >> we'll be right back.

this morning on "world news now," chrito this morning on "world news now," christmas tornadoes. at least 15 twisters touched down in the south, leaving a path of destruction. >> it's part of a relentless storm system bringing blizzard-like conditions to a wide section of the country. it's wednesday, december 26th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning to you. i'm brandi hitt in for paula faris. and another new face. you're joining us on "world news now." >> absolutely. if you spent the day polishing off the last of your eggnog in your fridge, do not adjust the channel, this is "world news now." just a couple of different

faces. i'm muhammad lila in for rob nelson. coming up, we'll show you the storm damage and get the latest from accuweather. then we'll take you to connecticut, where visitors are paying respects to the schoolchildren there and trying to help families struggle with so much grief. also this morning, new inside information about the arsonist and gunman in western new york and his evil plot to kill firefighters. what police discovered, he left behind a note that is just chilling. later this half hour, avoiding costly problems with the brand new electronics you just unwrapped. our technology editor is here with how to get the best use out of all that gear. >> knowing me, when i open one of those, i'm the first to scratch it, drop it, break it.

first, we want to get to some of this news. major damage after strong storms swept through the gulf states. at least three people have died, dozens more are injured from texas to georgia. >> and the news could be getting worse. that storm is moving east with strong winds and snow. winter watches and warnings are posted in 21 states, from texas all the way to maine, including blizzard warnings in seven of those states. our coverage begins with abc's brad wheelis. >> oh, my god, look, that's a tornado. >> reporter: this twister slammed into downtown mobile, alabama, injuring several people. vast swaths of this city were suddenly dark, leaving 17,000 homes and businesses without power. emergency crews blocked roads to better assess the damage, while the rain continued to pour on the city. >> oh, jesus, look at that tornado. >> reporter: another of the more than a dozen tornadoes in the region damaged several homes in southeast mississippi. several people were injured, luckily none seriously. >> we have a lot of damage, people hurt.

>> we've had homes that are 90% destroyed. >> reporter: the christmas day storm is being blamed for a young man's death in houston. he was trying to push aside a downed tree, when another tree snapped and fell on top of him, killing him instantly. blizzard conditions blanketed the midwest and beyond. snowplows had to clear roads as far south as lubbock, texas. interstate 40 near the intersection of i-35 and oklahoma was closed for most of christmas morning after a massive car pileup. freezing rain conditions caused 21 vehicles to crash into one another. several people were taken to the hospital. the storms are only expected to increase in strength as they sweep across the nation, delivering another heavy blow to the midwest on wednesday. and 10 inches of snow, meaning traveling home in the days after christmas could become even more treacherous. brad wheelis, abc news, los angeles. >> i'm glad we're in new york city right now where we've been spared. but it's one thing for those storms to happen. but it's another to happen this week. there are millions of people on the road, on airplanes, going

places for the holidays, millions taking trips and it's not going to be easy for these people to get home. >> our coverage continues now with a look at the forecast. >> thank you and good morning, muhammad and brandi. unfortunately the storm system still very strong. in fact, strengthening through the morning hours, giving us another round of severe weather and a lot of winter weather on the northern edge. strong thunderstorms the in jacksonville, florida, earlier on and upwards through virginia beach. some of these turning very gusty. a threat for tornadoes still in eastern portions of the carolinas. all this moisture spinning into the northern edge of the storm, running into very cold air, where we see blizzard-like temperatures with heavy snow and gusty winds in central portions of indiana. a mix of rain, sleet, and snow along the mason-dixon line. muhammad and brandi, back to

you. it's not just alabama we're talking about. tornadoes have touched down in other areas. parts of rural louisiana, mississippi. a lot of different areas in the south being hit with the severe weather. >> absolutely. we're not just talking about tornadoes. cleveland is bracing for a major blizzard. stores that were open there on christmas, started to empty out. salt trucks are ready for the storm. but this is no ordinary storm on its way later this morning. they're expecting nonstop snow for three hours or more to give you a sense of how severe this storm is going to be. >> hunker down. and a series of avalanches in california's tahoe resort area has claimed a second life. veteran ski patroller bill foster was buried for about eight minutes after the intentionally started avalanche got out of hand. a snowboarder in a separate resort also died in an avalanche. the area got several inches of snow over the weekend, creating

dangerous conditions. in newtown, connecticut, thousands of people from all over the country came to pay their respects on christmas day. volunteers have been keeping watch over a candle light vigil for the 20 children and 6 adults who died in the massacre. and at christmas services, they were told that good always overcomes evil. >> i can't believe something like this happened. i have two little children and i'm able to go home to them and some of their parents aren't. so i'm just here to pay my respects. >> it's not just small towns around connecticut, south carolina, brooklyn, you know, it's deserved of course, but it's hard to compartmentalize this. >> volunteers from nearby towns filled in for the newtown police force so those officers could spend the day with their families. there are disturbing details about the killing of two firefighters near rochester, new york, including a letter from

the killer. 62-year-old william spangler used the same make and caliber rifle that was used in the newtown attack. police yesterday read from a typed letter that spangler left behind. >> i still have to get ready to see how much of the neighborhood i can burn down and do what i like doing best, killing people. >> we'll get through it. very sad. >> the death toll from the fires is up to three now. now that police have found the remains of spangler's sister in his burned out house. two firefighters shot in the attack also remain hospitalized. >> you talk about the weapons used, that similar weapon is that bushmaster .223. he had a smith and wesson .38 caliber revolver. and 12-gauge shotgun. the question remains how this man got these firearms because he's not legally able to have them as a convicted felon. >> the other side of the story

is were there warning signs? was there an indication that this person was about to commit an atrocity like this and we're hearing now when he moved in, neighbors were talking about him, saying things about him killing his mother -- his grandmother. the warning signs were definitely there. >> we'll keep you posted as we get details on that story, as well. retailers facing a disappointing bottom line after a holiday slump, offering some bargains today. if you're interested, up to 80% off. the stores and online vendors need the boost. this was the weakest holiday shopping season since 2008. and sales were up, but just 0.7% over last year. analysts predicted sales would rise up to 4%. but customers were afraid of that fiscal cliff and were not in the buying mood apparently. so it is early in the morning. you might have a craving to go out and get something sweet after eating -- >> after all the food?

>> you've had that break of three or four hours and want to head to the fridge. if that is you, you want to see this next story. take a look. one of the world's great chocolate making cities. >> check out what chocolate makers in belgium have created. i think it's pretty cool. it's been certified as the world's largest vintage steam train made entirely out of chocolate. >> it's 110 feet long and appropriately enough, it was tut together as one of the main train stations in the belgium capital. >> maybe with your morning coffee, if you're up late and still digesting your christmas dinner or up early going back to work, you can have a little bit. >> those people looking at the train, how do you not just take a little piece off? >> we don't need a conductor. there he goes. keep it right here, because coming up, protecting those most expensive christmas gifts you've received from all the costly damage they could be getting as you're ripping them apart. and high tech advances for

people coping with spinal cord injuries. remarkable bionic suits are making a difference. you're watching "world news now." you're watching "world news now." ♪

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she be t she may be the bionic woman. what may be a huge medical

advance, a sort of wearable robot that helps spinal cord injury patients. >> this suit was first designed to help soldiers lift heavy loads on the battlefield, now it's being used to help patients in a southern california hospital do what they once thought was impossible. >> gentleman, we can rebuild him. >> for years, we dreamed of the impossible. >> better than he was before. >> dreamed of building a bionic man. >> better. stronger. faster. >> today, those big dreams start with these tiny steps. >> mentally, it's a wonderful feeling to be upright and moving. >> 27-year-old aaron bloom was paralyzed after an accident two years ago, told he would never walk again. now with each step, he's defying the odds.

>> right now, i can lift my hands up and put weight on these crutches and feel comfortable. >> it's all thanks to this, the xo bionic suit. first designed for soldiers to carry heavy loads, it's now being used in southern california to help paralyzed patients walk. the company says since they developed the technology, they've helped patients take more than 1 million steps, including some down the wedding aisle. 47-year-old loupe was paralyzed cliff jumping. >> it will change my life. it will make me feel a lot better. >> it took weeks of practice. he knows it's not a perfect cure, but it is one step closer to one. >> i have no doubt in my lifetime they'll be some sort of solution for spinal cord injuries. i firmly believe i'll be able to walk in the future. it's just a matter of time. >> that's certainly fascinating technology when you see that video. someone that cannot walk, straps

on this equipment and they're able to walk. but this technology is not cheap. it's about $150,000 per suit. in a lot of cases health insurance does not cover it. but how do you say no to somebody who just wants to walk again? isn't that incredible? >> it's not light, as well. the entire suit weighs 45 pounds. the load, though, is transferred to the ground, so the patient doesn't bear that weight. still, the idea this has been -- it's come to this far of an advancement. who knows what the next 10, 20, 30 years holds. >> think about all the other applications for it. we're getting close to that movie "avatar" where you can put on a suit and you're doing stuff you could never do before. coming up, expert advice to protect your most expensive christmas presents. >> the santa was generous with high tech gifts, then stick around. our advice might save you some money and some repairs. you're watching "world news now."

♪ ♪ so you've unwrapped your presents and santa brought you some high-value gadgets. how do you avoid ruining them? joanna stern is here with some expert advice. good morning. >> good morning. >> i guess the first thing is, i know i probably cracked the ipad the minute i unwrapped it. let's talk about protecting gadgets. >> hopefully that doesn't happen. first thing you want to do, get

case. seems obvious, but maybe if you're -- you're saying you're a little -- >> clumsy. >> i didn't want to say it, you said it. get something that's a little more durable. this is a great, great one. this is the super shell for kids. >> i would use it. >> $35 on this one. this is a new one here from hard candy for the mini ipad. this is $50. this has a built-in screen protector. this is one of my new favorite iphone cases. it looks like i'm reading a book. i might be reading the bible, i don't know. you've got an iphone built in and a wallet built in. >> how much does this run? >> this, unfortunately, $60. >> and it's more expensive, but we were talking about this because it's actual leather. >> real leather. you're making a statement with this one. so definitely invest in a good

case. it goes a long way. >> and you mentioned the screen protectors. people scratch things all the time. >> if you're like me, i put my phone in my bag. i actually don't practice what i preach and don't always have a case on it. you have keys rubbing on the screen. put a screen protector on and you're able to protect the screen. >> it will prevent scratches. is this expensive to add on to the phone? >> no, the price is not the big deal here. it's the process of putting this on. this is actually made by zag. they're $30 or $40. the putting it on is a little bit of a process. you can get the hang of it. google it, watch some youtube videos. it goes a long way. >> the other big thing is how to protect yourself and your gear when it comes to password protection. >> that is equally important if not more important. if you lose this, you can lose your identity. so first thing, put a password

on it. on android, they can let you do this really cool thing. you can actually draw a pattern, no one else knows that pattern. on the iphone, you can put it in numeric, on android. so make sure you have a good password. >> and what about the search technology if you lose something? you can have that put on to your ipad as well. >> exactly. so make sure that you set up find my iphone or find my ipad. this is a service apple provides. if you lose your iphone, you can do it. it's really easy to enable. you enable it under the settings menu. you can do that in android, use a new app called lookout. it's really simple to do. you can see right here, missing devices, it pulls up where you are. so it uses gps. it's safe to use. a lot of people are worried

like, oh, it's going to be tracking me. these services are meant for security. >> and you can always find it if it gets stolen. thank you so much, our abc technology editor for joining us today. we'll be right back. you're watching "world news now." it's time to change the way we clean.

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[ coughs ] ♪ [ male announcer ] you can't let a cold keep you up tonight. vicks nyquil -- powerful nighttime 6-symptom cold & flu relief. ♪ ♪ sleigh bells ring, are you listening ♪ ♪ in the lane snow is glistening ♪ ♪ a beautiful sight, we're happy tonight ♪ ♪ walking in a winter wonderland ♪ welcome back on this morning after christmas. if you ended up with that dreaded fruitcake, yesterday, you may have made a joke or two about it or even thrown it out. >> i like fruitcake. >> willis likes fruitcake. >> i don't know if he's going to like this fruitcake. don't say we didn't warn you. our british friends, who enjoy a pudding made with cow giblets. i didn't say that wrong.

pudding with cow giblets. for a look, here's abc's nick watt with the dish. >> the pudding. >> reporter: the christmas pudding has been a fixture on british tables for centuries. even before in "a christmas carol." >> looks like the best you've ever made, my dear. >> reporter: christmas pudding is basically a sloppy fruitcake. mix it up months in advance and it matures. >> we keep our puddings for a year, even two years. they're wonderful. >> reporter: christmas morning, the pudding sweats long and slow in what looks like old underpants and brits can't get enough. and they fly off the shelves at $60 a pop. strangely, there's not much of an export market. >> other nationalities don't really get this.

>> reporter: american traditions can be traced back to the early settlers. >> christmas pudding was banned by the puritans because it was considered an invention of babylon. how bad can that be? >> alcohol, fruits, almonds, and steaming as much as possible. >> reporter: that's the "nightline" producer in london. he makes his own pudding. we're going to find some foreigners and force them to eat it. >> it's much better than fruitcake. >> good. could use more cinnamon. >> reporter: add cinnamon. do whatever you like to it. just try it. around my house, the morning after christmas, we fry the leftover pudding in a pan, with brandy butter. it doesn't get much more unhealthy. it doesn't get much better. i'm nick watt. in london. >> yeah.

that brings us to our facebook question of the day. >> what is your least favorite holiday food? share it with us. wnnfans.com.

this morning on "world news now," deadly storms. at least 15 tornadoes tear their way across the south at the worst possible time on christmas. >> from powerful winds to relentless snowstorms, mother nature is not cooperating with millions of holiday travelers. it's wednesday, december 26th. >> from abc news, this is "world news now." >> good morning, you're looking at a couple of pretty unfamiliar faces. i'm brandi hitt. >> it is the morning after christmas and all through abc, the only people still working are brandi, the crew, willis back there.

there he is, and me. i've been waiting a week to say that. i had to get that out there. i'm in for rob nelson in on a break. we'll bring you up to date on the wrath of that terrible weather and find out which areas of the country could get hit next. our other big story, the firefighters killed in a cruel, cruel christmas ambush. we'll tell you what the dead suspect left behind. >> pretty chilling when we get more details about what happened in new york. also this morning, the movie showcasing the take down of osama bin laden. did hollywood overstep its bounds here? while the film is getting plenty of buzz, there's also a lot of sharp criticism. and what jessica simpson wanted everyone to know and the unusual way she conveyed that message. first, a string of december tornadoes tore through several gulf states on christmas day, killing at least three people. >> now that storm system is moving east with winds and snow. winter storm watches and

warnings are posted in nearly after the nation. alabama appeared to take a direct hit from several of those tornadoes. >> oh, my god, look, that's a tornado. >> reporter: overnight, dozens of christmas tornadoes trampled across the south. first, pounding texas. then touching down in louisiana, blasting through homes in mississippi. and wreaking havoc in mobile. lightning flashing inside like giant christmas ornaments. >> wow! look at that. >> reporter: at least 15 reported twisters spawned by a storm marching all the way from california. the tornadoes triggering these explosions, tossing trailers. >> we've got a lot of damage, people hurt. >> we've had homes that are 90% destroyed. >> reporter: the midtown area of mobile fully blacked out, lit only by the lights of police cruisers. this morning, about 20,000 mobile residents are still

without power. over 100,000 across the state. dazed residents pick through debris as rescuers search for people trapped in the rubble. the punishing wind mangling the graceful homes. matt gutman, abc news, mobile, alabama. earlier on christmas day, a houston area man died after a tree fell right on to his pickup truck. strong winds apparently brought the tree down and crushed the 25-year-old victim. he was trying to move another tree that fell when he was hit. winds brought down power lines leaving thousands in the dark. as abc's mark greenblatt reports, this storm dumped snow to the north. >> reporter: in oklahoma, a massive christmas morning crash closed down all holiday traffic heading west on interstate 40. 21 vehicles piled up, one on top of the next. and blizzard conditions blanketed much of the midwest and beyond. snowplows had to clear roads as far south as lubbock, texas. bad news for the increasing number of people taking to the roads.

>> it's the most people traveling for the holiday in six years. >> reporter: in maryland, black ice froze traffic, stranding holiday drivers there. one wife got a stuck car moving but wouldn't risk stopping again, even to let her husband back in the car. others couldn't get moving again. >> i had to stop. when i did, it was as far as i went. >> reporter: traveling home in the coming days could become more treacherous. mark greenblatt, abc news, new york. >> the worst possible news there at the worst possible time. very difficult to hear. millions of travelers just trying to get home. >> andrew shows us the trouble spots now. good morning. >> good morning. unfortunately our storm system still very much a problem, strengthening still this morning. a round of thunderstorms from jacksonville, florida, through virginia beach, some of them turning very strong. even a tornado threat into

eastern carolinas. blizzard-like conditions in central indiana and a little mix of rain, sleet and snow around 7:00 a.m. along the mason-dixon line. north of interstate 80, heavy snow. back to you. >> thank you, andrew. >> you talk about the tornadoes. this storm has potential to be one of the largest chris may day tornado outbreaks on record. and now there's more danger as it moves east. >> and the blizzard, very dangerous. when you hear law enforcement put out the warnings that say if you don't have to go on the roads, don't go on the roads. if you don't have to be out, if you don't have to be traveling, stay home and enjoy the holidays. >> good advice right now. that same storm system dumped several feet of snow on california over the weekend, causing avalanches. and now a second person was -- has died. bill foster was buried yesterday about eight minutes after the intentionally started avalanche got out of hand. a snowboarder in another resort

also died in a separate avalanche. the area got several feet of snow over the weekend cretuat g cretuating -- creating those dangerous conditions. our more major story this morning, some disturbing details about the christmas eve killings of two firefighters in rochester, new york. they are included in a letter typed by the hiller allegedly on a typewriter and found by police. >> reporter: the trap that killed two firefighters and injured three other first responders was set by this man, convicted felon william spangler. he may have also killed his sister. police discovered human remains in the burnt out home they shared. at the scene, police found a chilling note read in part by the police chief. >> i still have to get ready to see how much of the neighborhood i can burn down and do what i like doing best, killing people. end quote. >> reporter: the chief says the note makes clear spangler's intent. but his motive for murdering the volunteer firefighters is still

unknown. what is known is the 62-year-old served 17 years in prison for killing his grandmother with a hammer. it's illegal for convicted felons to own guns, but he had three weapons in his arsenal, including a bushmaster semiautomatic rifle, a weapon similar to the one used in the sandy hook elementary massacre. >> he armed himself heavily and immediately started firing on first responders. essentially, it was combat conditions. >> reporter: the two most seriously injured firefighters remain in intensive care, though in stable condition. john ritter, the officer who was the first to engage the gunman, was treated and released. >> we'll get through it. very sad. >> reporter: the community gathered together at the webster firestation to show support and pay respects. >> these guys are everybody's heroes.

when that alarm sounds, it could be you, it could be me. we just learned president obama will have a shorter hawaiian vacation than originally planned. mr. obama and the first lady traveled to a marine base in hawaii yesterday to visit with service members and their families. tonight, the president will make the long flight back to washington to resume negotiations to avoid that fiscal cliff. congress will also be returning on thursday, and we will finally see if they can come together and make an agreement. >> and the clock is ticking. we are now just days away. and the one thing that we off forget, this fiscal cliff, this isn't some small cliff we're talking about. this is like road runner, wylie coyote way off that cliff. you come off that cliff, it is a long way down. there are serious consequences for all of us. >> spending cuts, taxes raised across the board. and the president was hoping

that everyone could cool off, drink of eggnog, spend time with the family and when you get back to washington on thursday, let's hammer it out. but a lot of people are saying it doesn't look like it may happen at all. >> a lot of people will be celebrating on new years. when we wake up january 1, there might be a lot of upset people. in other very important news, perhaps the most important news of the night, trenton, ladies and gentlemen, remains in the hands of the hessians. yeah, george washington didn't cross the delaware this morning with his troops on christmas day. no, this is not historical footage. the annual re-enactment takes place -- or is supposed to take place yesterday didn't happen because the weather made the conditions too dangerous. >> the actual crossing in 1776 was a big turning point in the revolutionary war. yesterday, general washington still gave his speech, very important, and the continental soldiers still boarded that boat. they just didn't cross the

delaware. couldn't do it. they still looked good. the costumes are fantastic. >> imagine if the weather was bad that day in real life. what would they say? let's just go back? >> buck up. that's what they would say. coming up, a hollywood a-lister makes a career decision and this decision has nothing to do with a movie. hollywood's drama about the takedown of osama bin laden is really raising some serious questions about this now. you're watching "world news now." [ dog barking ] ♪ [ female announcer ] life is full of little tests, but your basic paper towel can handle them. especially if that towel is bounty basic. the towel that's durable, and scrubbable. in this lab demo, bounty basic is stronger than the leading bargain brand.

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♪ vicks nyquil -- powerful nighttime 6-symptom cold & flu relief. ♪ welcome back. welcome back. the movie "zero dark thirty" looks at the ten-year search of osama bin laden, including scenes of torture. >> and the movie is now drawing criticism from the acting director of the cia mike morel. it's an edge of your seat thriller that's now an edge of your seat controversy. "zero dark thirty" re-creates

the man hunt for osama bin laden. turning a ten-year search into a thrilling 2 1/2 hours. while fans are calling it a hit -- what did you think of the film? >> loved it. >> loved it. thought it was great. >> yeah, it was really powerful. >> reporter: critics are on the attack. in a rare public statement, the acting cia director accuses the film of taking significant artistic license, emphasizing it's not a realistic portrayal of the facts. >> i'm not your friend. i'm not going to help you. i'm going to break you. >> reporter: his biggest attack, the movie's harsh interrogation scenes. water boarding and men stuffed into to tiny coffin-like boxes suggesting torture played a key role in finding osama bin laden. the cia acknowledges that some intelligence did come from those so-called enhanced techniques. but there were many other sources, as well.

>> to portray this as our only way to get intelligence does a disservice to the american people. period. >> reporter: the filmmakers say it's not a documentary and not supposed to be. in an interview with martha raddatz, they say the film is based on authentic information, right down to the inside of bin laden's compound, gleaned from exclusive abc news footage. >> it was all based on firsthand accounts. so it felt very vivid and vital and very immediate, which is very exciting as a filmmaker. >> it's really interesting. it's an important debate that has to be had, but the cia, the criticism from the cia, they're not the only ones criticizing this. senator john mccain who himself was tortured as a p.o.w., says we think this movie glamorizes the role of torture and they insist that is not what happened and not the main reason why they were able to get to osama bin laden.

>> and leon panetta said when he was the cia chief they did use enhanced interrogation techniques. i remember when this film was postponed. it was supposed to be released in october, but they thought it would help the president win re-election. so they waited until after the election to release the film instead of doing it in october. >> are you going to see it? >> i'm interested. i think what we do in this business, i'm interesting to see how hollywood is going to portray it. >> as our viewers know, i cover that region for abc news. i guarantee they are not running that film in any theater in either of those countries. so if i'm going to see it, it's going to be here. >> better do it here before they send you back to cover the news in pakistan. coming up, one way to tell the world that you're expecting a new family member. and coming up, after that, the one part of the show you don't want to miss, the pro athlete putting more skin into the skinny. we'll explain it all, next. athlete putting more skin into the skinny.

we'll explain it all, next.

♪ skinny, so skinny ♪ skinny, so skinny ♪ skinny, so skinny >> thank you, willis. yes, it is time for "the skinny." the skinny is in the house and on this day after christmas, we have baby news in "the skinny." i don't know if it's news because everyone has been talking about this, but it's now confirmed. >> it's how it became news that's important. >> yes, we're talking about jessica simpson. she's having another baby and she confirmed it. we've been talking about this for several days. it's interesting the way she's confirmed that she's pregnant. she tweeted this photo we're about to show you, and it's of her daughter with big sis below, saying she's about to become a big sister. so jessica simpson pregnant with her second child. and she's just been paid $4 million by weight watchers to lose the baby weight from the first baby. she ended up dropping 50 pounds. now she's going to have her second baby, which i'm guessing

there's probably going to be another weight watchers deal in the works to get rid of the baby weight from the second baby. she'll get another $4 million maybe down the road. >> it was a nice picture. next, you could call this the battle of the bickering directors. spike lee talking about "django unchained" coming up. he said, american slavery was not the spaghetti western. it was a holocaust. my ancestors are slaves stolen from africa. i will honor them. of course, that is a direct shot to quentin tarantino. spike lee, no stranger to controversy. of course, he's also said some things about this film, he's made some very, very strong films with african-american leads. he's come out and said i think for me, i'm not going to -- i think for me it would be disrespectful to my ancestors to see that film. so spike lee speaking out very vocally about this. >> a lot of stars in the film, too.

you have a lot of hollywood a-listers. >> and there's a little history there between quentin tarantino and spike lee. somehow spike lee found time to get into this controversy while sitting courtside watching the new york knicks. >> so the next story is one that we -- has everyone talking. >> we've been talking about this during the break. what would a late night news cast be without another sex tape? as soon as i said that, can you hear that? that is the sound of every single one of our male viewers getting out pen and paper to see if we are going to give them the url. we are not. but here is the latest sex tape. it has to do with chad ocho cinco. apparently he's starring in a sex tape leaked online. a celebrity website put out the footage. no idea exactly who was in the tape except for chad ocho cinco. and apparently some sources close to him have said it was shot roughly three years ago,

that he had nothing to do with it being leaked. not that it matters. i somehow suspect this may, in some weird, twisted way, re-energize his career. >> really? it's going to help him with football? i don't know. >> it will sell some tickets. >> maybe. finally in "the skinny" ben affleck not running for u.s. senate. everyone was talking about this, is he going to take over for senator john kerry, now that he's up for bids on the secretary of state position with hillary clinton leaving. nope, he's not. he went to facebook and said he's not interested and will not be running for public office but will continue to work with the eastern congo initiative, which is something he's been talking about a lot politically. he's been very political. but it's interesting to see the celebrities getting into politics. >> sorry, i'm just googling that

video we were talking about. >> we're going to go to break. remember to come back after the break. we'll be right back.

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♪ ♪ >> welcome back. i'm sure you saw the movie all day yesterday, the bully from the holiday classic "a christmas story" was in a real grownup fight, the kind that involves a lot of lawyers. >> he's known as one of the most famous bullies of all time, but he claims the tables have turned with corporate america bullying him. abc's mark greenblatt has all the details. >> what, are you going to cry now? >> reporter: you probably know him as one of the most famous and feared bullies of all time, scott farkis, the yellow-eyed nemesis to ralphy in "a christmas story."

in real life, ward claims he's being bullied by the maker of a board game patterned after that 1983 holiday classic. he's suing the national entertainment collectibles association for fraud, claiming the company used his image without permission and without paying him. >> it's not the way you're supposed to treat people, and in my gut, it just felt unfair and it was the perfect example of being bullied. >> reporter: ward says he did given permission for a seven-inch action figure to be made. but he claims the organization never mentioned the board game. >> i had never been told about this. i was shocked, absolutely shocked. >> reporter: his lawsuit quotes e-mails from the studio like this one, warning you cannot ship this product without approval from the actor. ward claims they tricked the studio into thinking they did

have permission to make the games and sold thousands of them. >> they expected me to roll over, suck my thumb and go home. and complain and whine about it but really do nothing. and i just couldn't do that. >> reporter: but the manufacturer's lawyer says, we had his consent. this has been a manufactured story from the beginning but does concede they owe ward royalties, meaning perhaps the most famous bully ever learned from ralphy in the movie. sometimes it does pay to fight back. mark greenblatt, abc news, new york. >> and we have an important update on that story for all of you. abc news was recently told that the two parties have settled the lawsuit, but details haven't been released. >> the attorney for the board game says it did get permission to use that image in the game, but admits the actor was owed royalties. we'll be right back e actor was owed royalties. we'll be right back.

making news in america this morning. christmas chaos across the south. >> tornadoes, dozens of them, tear through several states, causing death, widespread damage and leaving tens of thousands in the dark. also this morning, it's back to business for president obama. he's cutting short his hawaiian vacation, to return to washington. hoping to strike a last-minute deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. plus, deep discounts. if you're not sick of the mall just yet, you're going to find some great sales today. why a loss for retailers could be your gain. and the holiday homecoming. one family never imagined was possible. how a chance encounter by a caring stranger put a dog-napped